The Other Side of Shyanna
by BelStar
Summary: Who is the mysterious Shyanna, and what does she have to do with the Bradys?
1. Chapter 1

"Come and try this dress on, sweetie", called Nola to Shyanna.

Shyanna went over to the old lady. She and Nola hadn't known each other for very long but Nola was certainly good to her. "I thought the color would go with your hair", Nola told her, handing over a flowered cotton dress. Going into the bathroom to change, Shyanna stroked the faded pink fabric and wondered what Nola would cook them for dinner tonight.

The bathroom was a sparse looking room with rag rugs on the floor. Shyanna took off her blouse and jeans and slipped the dress over her head. It was a very pretty one, stopping half-way between her knees and her ankles. The fabric was worn but very comfortable, and she hurried out of the room to show Nola.

"Oh yes, Shyanna, you look charming", Nola smiled. Shyanna turned to look at herself in the mirror. The dress suited her very well. "Do you know what, Shyanna?" the old lady said. "I think Hal'll be home soon. Shall we go into the back yard and find some vegetables?"

Shyanna had only been living with Nola and her son Hal for a few days in their home in the mountains, but she knew what this meant. She grabbed the large basket and went out into the yard with Nola. Shyanna gathered pea pods while the old lady, surprisingly sturdy, dug up potatoes. Between them, they also added a few radishes and carrots to the haul, while there were onions in the kitchen from yesterday. It wasn't long before they were back in the kitchen, with Shyanna shelling the peas into a bowl and Nola scrubbing the potatoes.

Someone was whistling outside. "Why, there's Hal!" smiled Nola, and a man in his 30's wandered in carrying his rifle and game bag. "I've got a rabbit for us all to eat", he said, patting the bag. "A rabbit!" smiled Nola with pleasure. "Shyanna, would you like to finish shelling those peas outside, I want to talk to Hal about something". Shyanna nodded, and gathered up the bowl and basket.

It certainly was beautiful outside and, sitting on the end of the bench in Nola's back yard, she could see over to the mountains. Over by the cypresses on one mountain, she could see two slight blond figures – what looked like teenage girls wearing jeans, t-shirts and small back packs. They were talking earnestly, and although Shyanna could see them, she didn't think they'd spotted her, which was just the way she liked it. There was a lot that she enjoyed about living with Nola and Hal. If the truth be told, she couldn't really remember anything about her life before she had wandered toward their house three days ago. Shyanna wondered now if that made her stupid. She quickly put the bowl and basket down by the side of the bench and hung her head so that her long hair fell in front of her face.

Just then, she felt some pressure against her thigh. Looking up, she realised Hal was sitting right next to her, squashing her against the arm of the bench. She looked over to the cypresses again to see if the blond girls were still there but they had gone. Hal was tracing a pattern on the faded pink fabric which covered her thigh. "Put your foot in my lap, honey", he told her. "Your right foot". Shyanna didn't want to but she was afraid of what might happen if she didn't. She placed her right foot, in its slip-on tennis shoe, in his lap. "Do you remember what I told you?" he said, toying with her foot. "On Saturday, Mom will going to visit her old friend Betty. And Betty doesn't like anybody coming along with Mom, so she'll be going on her own. And that'll mean that you and I'll be in the house together. And then", he said, running a finger from her cheekbone to her jaw, "we'll be able to go all the way".

Shyanna felt a terrible drop in the pit of her stomach. She didn't know where it was they'd be going to but she was sure she didn't like the sound of it. So far, Hal's attentions had been of the sort where he simply touched her cheek or played with her foot. These were troubling but she had the feeling there were far worse things in store, even though she couldn't say for certain what they were.

"Shyanna!" It was Nola's voice. "Come and help me with dinner!" Hal let her get up and she hurried in to the kitchen, glad to get away. "It's the magic hour", observed Nola. There was a mellowness to the evening sunshine, and Shyanna began to feel easier again as she helped Nola with the preparations. The kitchen window faced on to the front yard, and Shyanna was surprised to see the one of the girls she had seen earlier hurrying along the path. She felt stupid again, and turned her attention to the hand-written poem which was hung above the sink.

Read from some humbler poet,

Whose songs gushed from his heart,

As showers from the clouds of summer,

Or tears from the eyelids start;

Shyanna had formed the habit of reading this poem over to herself whenever she was in the kitchen. Nola had told her that it wasn't the whole poem, just the last five verses. She was glad that, even though she had forgotten so many things, she remembered how to read.

Who, through long days of labor,

And nights devoid of ease,

Still heard in his soul the music

Of wonderful melodies.

Suddenly she heard the front door open. Nola must have spotted the girl, for Shyanna could hear her bid the girl good evening. "Good evening", the girl said in reply, "I understand you have a teenage girl staying here. May I ask her a few questions?" Nola called to her guest. "There's a young lady here who'd like to speak with you, Shyanna, can you come to the door?" Shyanna supposed she had better deal with the girl so she hurried over.

"So your name's Shyanna", said the girl, with a captivating smile. She was wearing a turquoise blue t-shirt, with lace edging. "That's right", murmured Shyanna. "I wonder if you could step out into the front yard for a minute, I'd like to talk with you about something." Shyanna glanced over at Nola.

"I'm sure it'll be safe", smiled Nola. The two girls went out into the yard. When they were a few feet away from the door, Shyanna caught the eye of someone staring at her from behind a tree. It was the other blond girl. She was wearing a cream-colored t-shirt which set off her freckled face. The freckled girl looked as if she was bursting with something to say, but she appeared to be holding herself back.

"So, Shyanna", said the girl in the turquoise t-shirt. "How long have you been staying with…?"

"Nola", Shyanna told her. "And Hal".

"Since Tuesday", replied Shyanna. "And now it's Friday".

"Shyanna, how do you like living there?"

A sob came from the freckled girl, who wiped away a tear as Shyanna turned to look at her. "Don't call her Shyanna again", she gulped. "You know it isn't her name".

"But it is", replied Shyanna. "Shyanna Lee".

The freckle-faced girl ran right up to her. "Shyanna isn't your name at all", she told her. "It's Marcia! Marcia Brady!"

Shyanna stared at the ground. She'd known for the past three days that her name wasn't really Shyanna – she'd remembered that there was a sh- sound somewhere in her real name but she couldn't recall how it fitted in. Marcia Brady didn't sound like somebody who she was at all.

The freckle-faced girl had collapsed to the ground, and was sitting there sobbing, while the first girl was kneeling by her. "Jan", she said. "I told you your sister might not remember who she was. Don't forget we thought she could have hurt her head."

Marcia Brady. Shyanna didn't feel any closer to being Marcia Brady. Who was Marcia Brady, and what was she like? She crouched down in front of the girl named Jan and put her arms around her. "Oh Marcia", Jan sobbed, returning the embrace. Suddenly, somehow, the name felt right. She still couldn't remember anything about herself but she was this person called Marcia Brady. "Don't cry, Jan", whispered Marcia to her sister.


	2. Chapter 2

The girl in the turquoise t-shirt's name was Jessamyn, and although Marcia had thought she was younger, Jessamyn was actually 24 years old. Jessamyn had told her that she was a police officer, and that she and Jan had been spending the last three days going around the mountains looking for her. Jessamyn, Jan and Marcia were still in the front yard but now everything seemed very different. Two cars with flashing lights had driven up to the house, and Nola and Hal had been taken away in them. There were two more cars now, with men in dark blue outfits buzzing around the house like flies. "You'll see your brothers and your little sister soon", Jessamyn told Marcia. "They've all been searching around the mountains with police officers since Tuesday. We've radioed to let them know we've found you, and we've let your parents know too".

"Do you remember how you got lost?" Jan asked Marcia. Marcia shook her head. "It's our last summer vacation together before Greg goes to college…"

Marcia looked at Jan enquiringly. "Who's Greg?"

"Greg's our oldest brother", Jan explained. "The six of us went for a walk in the mountains, and we left you behind somehow. We climbed into this valley and we thought you'd climbed out after us. Then when we went back, you were gone and there was this rock stained with blood, and we thought maybe you'd bumped your head on it." Marcia remembered her head had been bleeding when she arrived at Nola and Hal's house but Nola had cleaned the wound and stopped the flow of blood.

Another car pulled up and a tall young man with dark curls stepped out from the passenger seat. Jan rushed over to him. "Greg", she told him, starting to weep again "Marcia doesn't remember who she is – she's completely lost her memory". The young man's eyes looked troubled as he and Jan hurried to where Marcia was. "She's been living with this old woman and her son, who are all cut off from the world – they don't even have electricity. But I was upset when we found her, and she gave me a hug".

"She's still got a big heart, then", said Greg, pulling the two girls towards him, "and that's what really counts", he added, embracing them both with strong arms. For the first time that she could remember, Marcia felt truly safe. "Are you my brother?" she asked Greg. "Yes, I am", he replied, "I'm Greg, and you're my groovy sister Marcia". Smiling, Marcia stared at the ground. She wished she could remember what groovy meant.

Just then, yet another car pulled up, and a bewildered looking boy with dark eyes and dark hair got out. "Marcia", he said, running toward her, "they told me you can't remember anything". He shut his eyes tightly for a moment, looking as if he was trying not to cry.

"Are you okay?" she enquired. "Sure, it's just…" he blinked again, "…we weren't sure if we were going to find you", he answered. "Are you my other brother?" she asked him. "I'm the middle one, my name's Peter", he answered, shaking her hand. "You don't just shake my hand if you're my brother", Marcia said. She put her arms around Peter, and he hugged her back as Greg and Jan laughed. She was beginning to think that maybe she did know these people. She certainly thought they were nice.

One more car pulled up, this time with a boy with braces and freckles and another blond girl in the back. Marcia could see that they were younger than the other kids, and that the girl looked as if she'd been crying. "Remember", whispered the boy to the girl as they got out of the car, "she doesn't remember anything - she won't even remember who you are". Greg looked sternly at the boy. "We all heard that, Bobby", he told him.

The girl ran towards the older kids and took hold of Marcia's hands in a loose grasp. "Oh Marcia", she said, beginning to cry again, "you're not you anymore". Marcia pulled her hands free and began to stroke the crying girl's back. "I thought my name was Shyanna", she said to the girl, "but now I know it's Marcia. What's your name?"

"It's Cindy", said the girl, beginning to sob loudly. Marcia hugged Cindy to her. The life she'd had as Shyanna seemed to be ending quite suddenly but she had to remember that her real life now was the one she'd had as Marcia Brady.

The boy named Bobby was hanging back, looking at Marcia suspiciously. "Aw, Bobby, come and say hello", said Peter. One of the men was carrying a stool from out of the house. "Would you like to sit down, Miss Brady, you look a little tired", he asked. Marcia settled herself down on the stool. Bobby was trudging slowly towards her, still with a suspicious look in his eyes. "So you're my brother Bobby", Marcia said to him. "You're very cute". Bobby suddenly smiled, took hold of Marcia's hand and kissed her cheek. "That's it", smiled Greg, "she's still the same person."


	3. Chapter 3

"Can you really not remember us at all?"

Marcia gazed at the tall man with the blue eyes and the curls, and the tearful blond woman next to him, and shook her head. For a moment, she had been tempted to say she did, but she didn't feel she could lie. She and the other kids had all been driven to a big building called the Police Station, where Jessamyn had told her she would have to answer some questions, and then she would get to meet her parents.

"Well, Marcia, even though we found you, it seems that in some ways you're still lost", he told her, drawing her close to him. Marcia returned the hug. Even though Jessamyn had told her he wasn't her real father – the word she had used was stepdad - he felt like a real father.

"Honey", interrupted the blond woman, choking back sobs. "Honey, if you don't feel comfortable calling us Mom and Dad, you can call us Carol and Mike". As the man let her go, Marcia turned to the woman and looked at her. This was her mother - the one member of the family who had known her from the day she was born - and she didn't feel any connection to her. The only feeling she was aware of was fear. What if these people weren't her parents, and those kids weren't really her brothers and sisters? Standing facing the man and the woman, in the cold, harshly-lit room, Marcia suddenly felt very alone. But then if she did only call them Mike and Carol, perhaps none of it would matter too much.

"I think I'll do that", she agreed. Carol put her arms around her. "Oh, my beautiful Marcia", she said, beginning to cry again. "Are you ready to go home now?" asked Mike. Marcia nodded. The other kids were waiting for them on a bench in a corridor outside. "We're parked out back", Mike told her. "Ours is the biggest car in the parking lot." Marcia giggled. "Well, it looks like we're a big family", she commented.

It was dark by the time they got outside again. There seemed to be lights everywhere, and all kinds of unfamiliar sounds. Marcia stared down at her shoes. "We live further out of the city", Carol told her, noticing her discomfort. "It'll be quieter there." They soon found the family station wagon and began to pile in – Mike and Carol in the front, Greg and Peter in the rear and Cindy and Bobby in the middle. Jan held Marcia's hand before leading her to the middle seat. "Sit down", she encouraged, "it's pretty comfortable". Marcia sat down next to Jan and hoped that things would soon seem a little less strange. As the station wagon rolled away from the parking lot, she gazed out of the window. Still so many lights, and so many different colors. She could also see her reflection frowning at her.

Earlier on, when she had met Jessamyn and Jan, and then all the other kids, she had been pleased to get away from being Shyanna and having to worry about Hal – now she wasn't so sure. She wondered what was happening to Hal and Nola. Jessamyn had said the police were going to ask them some questions, and that they might charge them with kidnapping. Marcia didn't know what that meant, and hadn't wanted to ask anybody.

"We've missed you a lot", said Cindy from the other side of the car. Marcia started weeping. She hadn't missed them, but then she'd never realised that there was anyone she was supposed to miss. "Don't cry, Marcia", Bobby told her. "Alice'll have dinner ready when we get home, it's spaghetti and meatballs."

"Spaghetti and meatballs?" queried Marcia. It didn't sound like anything she'd ever eaten. "Let's just be quiet now", said Mike from the driver's seat. "Close your eyes now, Marcia", murmured Carol. "Just see if you can sleep the rest of the way." Marcia closed her eyes. She could see the frame with the poetry in it and, written at the top, 'Day is Done (Last Five Verses)'. In her head, she repeated the lines over to herself:

Read from some humbler poet,

Whose songs gushed from his heart,

As showers from the clouds of summer,

Or tears from the eyelids start;

How funny it was, being in between one life and another. Greg had told her she would probably remember more about her life as Marcia when she came back to the house where they all lived. She hoped they would all be patient with her if she didn't. Silently, she repeated the next verse of the poem:

Who, through long days of labor,

And nights devoid of ease,

Still heard in his soul the music

Of wonderful melodies.


	4. Chapter 4

Marcia's jaw dropped. The inside of the house didn't seem like a house at all. The ceiling was too high, and there was such a lot of space. "Is this really where we live?" she asked.

"Hey Alice, Marcia's home!" Greg hollered. A woman hurried out from around a corner. She was wearing a blue dress which stopped at the knee. "Marcia, it's so good to see you", she cried, wrapping her arms around her, "we've missed you so much!" Marcia had been told that Alice was their housekeeper. She wasn't sure what that meant, but she could see this lady was a good soul so she hugged her back.

"Let's go up to our room, I wanna change my outfit", Jan told Marcia. "So do I, these clothes are all dusty", said Cindy. The girls hurried upstairs to their room. "Oh, it's so pretty!" exclaimed Marcia. Jan opened the closet door. "I like that dark blue shirt", said Marcia. "That one's yours", smiled Jan. "You bought it last week."

"And look", added Cindy, "you got these pants with the wide legs to match." Marcia took off the pink flowered dress she had put on in Nola's house. While her sisters were putting their clothes in the hamper, all Marcia could do was stare at the pink dress. Even if she put on that blue shirt and pants, she would still feel like Shyanna.

Jan and Cindy were looking at her with eyes full of concern. "Are you okay?" Jan asked her. Marcia nodded. "Sit down on the bed - we'll help you get dressed if you want." There was a knock at the door. "Don't come barging in, we're all in our underwear", called Cindy. "Who wants to see that?" came Bobby's voice from outside. "You don't, unless you want us to bop you", Cindy replied. "Okay Marsh, lift your arms up", ordered Jan.

Marcia lifted her arms and Jan slipped the shirt onto her. "We used to do this with you when you were little, Cindy, remember?" Jan said. "Now stand up and I'll help you on with your pants." Marcia stepped into the pants – one leg first and then the other. Jan pulled them up and Cindy helped her to fasten them.

Coming down the stairs, the spaghetti and meatballs smelled wonderful. Marcia sat herself down between Peter and Carol. Cindy led the rest of the family in saying grace. "Dear God", she prayed. "Thank you for our meal, thank you for keeping Marcia safe and thank you for bringing her back to us. Amen."

"Amen", said the others. Carol lifted the lid from one of the dishes. Marcia's mouth dropped open. "Are we eating worms?" she asked. "That's the spaghetti", smiled Peter. "Just try a little", said Carol, putting a small amount on her plate. "I think you'll enjoy the meatball sauce", she added, putting a large spoonful next to Marcia's spaghetti. "Okay, Bobby and Cindy next."

"Lots for me", requested Cindy. "And me", said Bobby. "You need lots to eat when you've been trudging round the mountains all day." Right on cue, Alice came over to the dinner table with another dish of spaghetti. "There's enough for seconds if you want seconds", she told them. "Thank you, Alice – I think we may even be wanting thirds", replied Carol, loading Bobby and Cindy's plates and passing them along.

In the meantime, Marcia hadn't touched her food. "You just eat it like this, Marcia", explained Cindy, using a spoon to wind her spaghetti round her fork. Marcia copied Cindy's actions, popped her fork in her mouth and smiled. "Is that good, honey?" Mike queried. Marcia chewed her mouthful and nodded. "Shall I give you some more?" smiled Carol. "Yes please!" Marcia replied.

Dinner was now finished. The family were upstairs showing Marcia the shelf full of her awards, along with a lot of family photos and work she'd done for school. None of it seemed to be helping her remember her old life. "That's you and me with Tiger", Cindy was saying. "He's dead now but he was a good dog while he was alive." Marcia looked bemused. "If he was a dog, why would we have called him after another animal?" she asked. Bobby caught sight of himself in the mirror and unnoticed by the others, he shook his head at his reflection. "I'm going to help Alice with the dishes", he said out loud. "I'm sure she'd appreciate that", Carol replied.

When Bobby got to the kitchen, he didn't say anything. He just snatched up the kitchen towel and looked up at Alice with pleading eyes. Alice smiled and nodded. Bobby grabbed the cutlery holder and started drying the knives and forks, laying them out on the kitchen table with his back to Alice. "I don't know if I can be patient with Marcia like Mom and Dad say we should be", said Bobby, finally breaking the silence. "She's just so different now".

"I think it'll be a long time before we get the old Marcia back", Alice told him. "But it's so freaky", said Bobby, still facing away from Alice. "I mean, before this, Marcia and Greg were the coolest people I knew, and now Marcia's just like a dumb little girl. She didn't even know how to eat spaghetti. If I'd told her you have to eat it with it hanging out of your mouth like a slob, I bet she'd have believed it."

"Well, don't forget", said Alice. "I was around when you were a baby, and I can remember you tipping your spaghetti over your head. Greg and Peter nearly fell out of their seats, they thought it was hilarious." Bobby turned around, and then sat for all of thirty seconds, staring into space.

Finally he sighed. "I suppose if I can be the laughing stock of the Brady family, I can handle it if Marcia's a bit goofy. I'm going to go back upstairs in a minute and see how she's doing." He stood up and kissed Alice on the cheek before putting away the cutlery. "There is one thing though", he added. "Oh, and what might that be?" asked Alice.

"I wish you didn't have such a good memory", giggled Bobby.


	5. Chapter 5

A few days later, Marcia was sitting in the kitchen of the big house where the Brady family lived. At least, she thought it was a big house but her brothers and sisters said it was really too small, and complained about the fact that too many people had to use one bathroom. She had a copy of a school magazine she had once edited, which Carol thought might help to jog her memory, and a row of plasticine figures, which Jan had made to help her keep track of who was who in the family. The magazine, and even the pieces she herself had written, could just as well have come from another world for all the good they did in helping her remember her old life. The plasticine figures made her feel happier. Marcia looked up at Alice, who was busy tidying the kitchen.

"Alice", said Marcia, "is it good to have lots of brothers and sisters?"

"Well, you all seem to like it fine", replied Alice. "When you kids first became part of a big family, you used to fight quite a lot but now you all work as a team and have fun together."

"I see", sighed Marcia. She thought through what she'd been told about these people who were her family. Mike hadn't always been her father and the boys hadn't always been her brothers – that had only happened a few years ago when Mike and Carol got married. Carol had always been her mother, and Jan and Cindy had always been her sisters.

Marcia looked out of the kitchen window. It was late afternoon, around the time when she'd been gathering vegetables with Nola before she'd been taken away. For a moment, she thought she might ask Alice if she wanted any help cooking dinner, but then she decided against it. "I'm going out in the back yard", she told Alice. Outside, Greg was sat practicing his guitar while Mike was leafing through a magazine and Peter and Bobby were fixing Bobby's bike. Marcia decided it was nearly as peaceful as Nola's back yard.

From out of nowhere, she began to recite the lines of poetry she'd remembered:

"Read from some humbler poet,

Whose songs gushed from his heart,

As showers from the clouds of summer,

Or tears from the eyelids start;

It was still so strange to have gone from one life with Nola and Hal to another very different one with her family. The poetry seemed to be the only common thread running between the two:

Who, through long days of labor,

And nights devoid of ease,

Still heard in his soul the music

Of wonderful melodies."

From behind her, a rich voice took up the next verse:

"Such songs have power to quiet

The restless pulse of care,

And come like the benediction

That follows after prayer."

Marcia turned around. The voice was Mike's. "Longfellow was an amazing poet", he smiled. Carol had heard their voices and had come out into the yard. She took Marcia's arm. "Sweetheart, can you remember where you came across that poem before?" she asked her daughter.

"It was hanging up in Nola's kitchen", replied Marcia, "it had 'Verses from "The Day is Done' written at the top."

"Hey, that's the poem we used for that sketch we did in the Family Night Frolics!" exclaimed Bobby, looking up from his bike. "The one where we poured water over you and Greg, Dad!" snickered Peter. Carol laughed. "As if I could forget", said Mike with a wince. "Recite it now!" Peter demanded. "Greg, see if you can remember how the guitar bits went." Carol looked at Marcia. "Shall we sit down and listen?" Carol asked her. Marcia nodded in agreement.

"Okay", replied Greg, "'Day is Done', but without the interruptions."

Mike stood next to the chair where Greg was sat and recited:

"The day is done, and the darkness

Falls from the wings of Night,

As a feather is wafted downward

From an eagle in his flight – Bobby!"

Bobby was standing behind Greg and tickling his face with a feather as he tried to accompany Mike on his guitar. "I just realized I had this in my pocket", giggled Bobby. "That isn't funny", scowled Greg. Mike continued:

"I see the lights of the village

Gleam through the rain and the mist…"

Mike paused. "I feel sad", said Marcia. "Oh honey", said Carol in a soothing voice, hugging her daughter closely. "Wait!" she shouted, pulling away and looking Marcia in the face. "That's the next line!"

"And a feeling of sadness comes o'er me / That my soul cannot resist!" Greg exclaimed. Jan, Cindy and Alice came rushing out into the yard, alerted by the shouting. "Can you remember what comes next?" asked Peter.

"It's a sad feeling, but it's not the kind of feeling that's hurting me", Marcia replied.

"A feeling of sadness and longing / That is not akin to pain", remembered Peter, surprised to find that the words had stayed with him so long after performing the sketch. "And it's not really a sorry feeling either", Marcia continued.

"And resembles sorrow only / As the mist resembles rain", continued Alice, thinking back to her high school days when she had been required to learn poetry off by heart.

"I like hearing poetry", said Cindy. "That's the next bit!" said Marcia enthusiastically. "I like hearing poems that are quite simple…and express feeling…and makes you forget your troubles!"

"Come, read to me some poem,

Some simple and heartfelt lay,

That shall soothe this restless feeling,

And banish the thoughts of day", recited Mike. "That was the verse we skipped over." "Dad, you're such a ham!" groaned Bobby. "Didn't you and I recite a poem as well?" Marcia asked Carol.

"We sang a song!" exclaimed Carol. "And we danced! And you had to tip me out of a trash can!"

"I've got a tape of you singing that song", said Greg. "Do you want to go inside and have a listen?"

Marcia smiled. "I think I'd like that", she said.


	6. Chapter 6

Listening to the tape of Marcia and herself singing 'Together, Wherever We Go' later became one of Carol's most treasured memories. Marcia listened closely and even sang along with parts of the song – it was obvious that she could remember snatches of it without any prompting from anyone. But the most wonderful moment was when Marcia said, "We'll do another song together one of these days, won't we, Mom?" Carol had thought she would never hear Marcia call her 'Mom' again. Afterwards, Marcia wrote down everything she could remember about the Family Night Frolics; and that led to her writing every day as she remembered new things about her life up to the time she had gone missing. Holidays, trips, squabbles, pranks - in time, there seemed so much to write about that she progressed to a portable type-writer, and the summer seemed to pass in the family saying "Marcia, do you remember this?" "Hey, do you remember that", to the accompaniment of endlessly clacking keys.

Everybody was keen to have their memories recorded, because Greg would be leaving for college at the end of the summer. "It'll be the end of an era for you kids", Alice told them. "But we can still get together and perform as the Brady Six, right?" asked Cindy. "I think the Brady Six have had their time in the sun", he smiled.

Carol thought that Jan seemed to be having the hardest time, because Marcia seemed to be so emotionally dependent on her. Since her few days away from the Bradys, Marcia's character had gone from out-going to fearful, and she spent most of her time in the house or the back yard. If she did leave the house, she would always insist on Jan accompanying her. She no longer went out on dates or met up with friends, and she couldn't even fall asleep at night unless Jan was holding her hand across the space between their beds. It looked as if Peter was going to have the attic bedroom after Greg moved out, because Marcia couldn't handle the thought of sleeping in a room alone.

In the meantime, Bobby was being a pain – always insisting that the family adopt a new puppy. There was an article in the local paper about a litter of cross-breed puppies that had been brought to a rescue center and were now looking for new homes. "We've got quite enough going on without bringing in a new pet!" complained Mike after Bobby had spent half of dinner pestering. "But cross-breeds are the most intelligent kind of dog there is!" Bobby whined. "Well, it couldn't hurt to have a look at the puppies", said Carol.

"I'm with Dad", said Jan. "Besides, it's unfair to Tiger's memory."

"And it's not as if just any dog could replace Tiger" added Cindy, jutting her chin out. "That's right", agreed Peter. "There's only ever been one dog for the Bradys".

"I'm with Bobby, I think you should get a puppy", said Greg. "It'll be fun to have a dog to play with when I come home on vacation".

"Says the one who won't have the job of housebreaking it and training it", Peter grumbled.

"I could use the company when I'm on my own in the house", said Alice, coming in from the kitchen. "and just because we had one dog we loved, doesn't mean we can't have another."

"Well, I make that four in favour and four against", said Mike. "Marcia, what do you say?"

"I think it'd be neat", replied Marcia. "Well, that settles it", said Mike. "We'll go and say hello to the puppies tomorrow."

The next day, they all went to the rescue center to look at the puppies. Bobby was thrilled at the sight of the puppies tumbling around in their pen. "Now, don't go getting your hopes too high", Mike told Bobby. "Remember we're only here to look at the puppies." But Bobby wasn't paying attention. "I see the one I want", he said, pointing at the most playful of the puppies. "That one's a boy dog", commented Greg.

Peter still wasn't keen on the idea of a new dog. "What are you going to call him?" he said sarcastically. "Tiger Cub?"

"That's it!" cried Bobby, becoming even more excited. "We'll call him Cubby!"

"Cubby!" exclaimed Marcia. "Come here, Cubby", she called, reaching out to tickle the puppy. "Alice, come and have a look at him, he's the cutest one here!" As both Greg and Alice joined Bobby and Marcia, Carol looked at Mike. "Why, Marcia actually seems to have come out of herself", she told him. "So she has", said Peter in astonishment. Marcia was giggling as she and Cubby played tug-of-war with a squeaky toy.

"Can we have the puppy?" asked Carol. "Please?" implored Jan. "He's the only dog who'll ever be as good as Tiger", Peter said. "Come on, Dad, we're begging you", cried Cindy.

"I thought you three kids were dead against it", replied Mike. "A lady's entitled to change her mind", insisted Jan. "So's a gentleman", stated Peter.

"Oh, go on, Mike", said Carol. "You trained Tiger from a puppy, remember", Peter told him. "Please say yes", said Jan and Cindy together.

"Well, if you three are converts, I guess I'm one too", sighed Mike. "Come on, we'll tell the others the good news."


	7. Chapter 7

All of the family took a hand in training and caring for Cubby, but the strongest bond he had was with Marcia. She was the one who normally took him for walks, and who spent the most time playing with him. For the first time in a long time, Marcia was happy to go out of the house without Jan or any other family member – as long as she had Cubby on his leash, she felt safe. Three weeks after the family brought Cubby home, she was able to sleep without holding hands with Jan – just knowing Cubby was asleep outside her bedroom door made all the difference. At Carol's suggestion, she even tried sleeping in the attic room while Greg was out of town for the weekend, playing at a holiday camp with his new band. Cubby slept on the floor next to her bed. After the first night, Carol brought her breakfast in bed and asked her how she'd got on. "It was fine, Mom", replied Marcia. "Just fine."

Marcia was also fine the second night. When she woke up, she was determined to do one thing and one thing only. Jan was coming upstairs with a tray of coffee. "Hey, Jan!" cried Marcia. "Greg's getting back today."

Jan grinned at her. "We'll have to ask him what he's been up to", she said. "But if we ask him in front of Mom and Dad, we'll only get the cleaned-up version", replied Marcia. "We're just going to have to corner him on his own. Now listen, here's what we'll do…" Marcia whispered in Jan's ear, and Jan's face lit up as Marcia told her the plan.

"Gre-eg", called Marcia from the bottom of the steps to the attic room, after most of the family had gone to bed that night. "Jan and I are going out in the back yard to see if we can spot any shooting stars. Do you want to come with us?" Jan stood next to her, trying to contain her giggles.

"Shooting stars?" replied Greg. "Well, I guess it's the time of year for them. Just let me put my robe on."

"Grab your blanket", said Jan. The three of them went out into the back yard, with Cubby trotting at Marcia's heels. Jan sat with her blanket round her like a shawl, while Marcia rolled herself up in hers. Lying on her front, she played with Cubby while Greg and Jan were talking about Greg's new college. Marcia listened with only half an ear – she was waiting for Jan to bring the conversation round to the holiday camp...

Somewhere over in the mountains, Shyanna was sitting on the bench, wearing her soft cotton dress and looking over at the cypresses. She wanted the two girls by the cypresses to notice her – no, she didn't. If she hung her head so that her hair fell in front of her face…

"Let go my foot!" Marcia sat up suddenly to find that Cubby was chewing her right foot through the blanket. Greg and Jan were looking at her with wide, staring eyes. "Marcia, what happened?" asked Greg. "We thought you'd fallen asleep", said Jan.

"It was Hal", she gasped. "He was playing with my foot, and he…"

"Go on", said Jan. "Can I tell you indoors?" asked Marcia. "It's kind of creepy out here." She unravelled herself from the blanket and they all went indoors and into the kitchen. Greg busied himself fixing some hot chocolate for the three of them. "I'll be getting all my own food in a couple of months", he reminded the girls.

Sitting on the living room sofa, with Jan next to her and Cubby curled up on her lap, she told them the story. "I'd almost forgotten about it", she explained, "I was trying so hard to get back to my life as Marcia Brady that I didn't remember a lot of my time as Shyanna."

"So what did he do to you?" asked Greg.

"He had me squashed in one corner of the bench", she said. "He was touching my thigh and playing with my foot, and he said to me we were going to go all the way." Jan gasped.

"It's okay, Jan, he didn't do anything else to me", Marcia reassured her. "I didn't understand what he meant at the time, but I do now."

"You must have been frightened, though", said Greg. "I was frightened", replied Marcia. "But it was about ten minutes after that when Jan and Jessamyn found me."

"Do you know what happened an hour before we spotted you?" asked Jan. "Jessamyn wanted to call it a day, but I told her how our first Dad ran out on us when we were kids", she stopped to wipe a tear away, "and Greg, how you boys lost your mother", she took a deep breath before collecting herself, "and I said to her 'None of us could stand to lose another person, we've just got to find my sister'. And after what you just told us, I could never have forgiven myself if we hadn't found you when we did!"

"Well, we were two lonesome families who came together to form one happy family", said Greg, "and that's what makes us such a great team. I'm going to bed now", he said, heading up the stairs, "and you two don't need to feel frightened – you've got each other, you've got Cindy, you've got Alice, you've got one groovy dog, two groovy parents, three groovy brothers…", he reached the top of the stairs, "…and this groovy brother's going to tell you what really went on at the holiday camp tomorrow", he ended with a wink before disappearing round the corner.

Marcia and Jan looked at each other, forgetting their thoughts of Hal for the moment. "He had us all figured out!" gasped Jan. "I guess we weren't as sneaky as we thought", said Marcia, breaking into a smile. "That brother of ours, he's just too clever for his own good", sighed Jan, shaking her head. "And I don't think college is going to make him any different."

"He's right, though", grinned Marcia. "Us Bradys – we are a great team!"


End file.
